The B.C. government has approved a $6.6-billion plan to build a massive hydroelectric dam on the Peace River, nearly 40 years after it was first proposed.
Premier Gordon Campbell and Energy Minister Blair Lekstrom announced the approval of the Site C dam project on Monday morning, while standing on the W.A.C. Bennett Dam, located near the project site in northeastern B.C.
"This is a foundational decision for the future of the province," the premier said in a speech peppered with references to the historic legacy of the W.A.C. Bennett Dam.
"Site C is an important part of B.C.'s economic and ecological future and we are ready to take it on."
Campbell said the project will now enter its third stage, which will include consultation with First Nations and detailed design work.
The mega-project will also go through an independent environmental assessment and broad stakeholder consultation, and where harmful effects cannot be avoided, BC Hydro will identify and evaluate potential options for mitigation, according to a statement released by the province after the announcement.
But one of the province's largest environmental organizations and some First Nations in northeast B.C. voiced opposition to the Site C plan Monday. Read more.
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